Improved spring bed-bottom



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. BENNETT, OF LOGKPORT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,546, dated November 13, 1866.

To alt whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BENNETT, ot Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring Bed-Bottoms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making' part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective View of aY bedstead provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a silnilar view of one end of a slat and its connecting parts.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

. My invention consists in connecting the ends of the slats by pendent loops to a pelculiar arrangement of springs incased so as to be screwed at any position to the bedstead, the whole arranged in such a manner that not only may the slats be inverted when bent, but by hanging free from the springs may turn to any angle to adapt themselves to the form of the occupant.

As represented in the drawings, Ais a bedstead, of any ordinary construction, and .B B are the longitudinal slats constituting the bottom.

The ends of the slats have iron straps a a, through the bea-rings of which pass loops b b, made of wire. I make these loops with eyes o, simply bent up,. as Vin-Fig. 2, or crossed, as in Fig. l. These eyes cengage with hooks d, whose shanksf extend up into cases C C. and rest on top of spiral springs g, inclosed therein.

The hooks may stand either inward, outward, or sidewise, as may be desired 5 but the inward position, as in Fig. 2, is the best, as the mattress is not thus liable to be torn.

Thel cases are provided with ilanges L, by which they are screwed to the head and foot boards.

The cases C and slats B, with the connecting parts, being of convenient form and small size, may be portable, and applied to any bedstead at pleasure.

The form of the cases enables them to be applied by simply screwing, and without the addition of cross-pieces, 85o., of wood, which require painting or staining, and they may be set as closely together or far apart as dcsired, while in many ordinary spring-beds the arrangement is such that the distance apart is arbitrary.

The cases inclose the springs in such a manner as not only to keep them in position, but to protect them from harm.

In many beds the springs are exposed, so as to interfere with adjusting the bedding, and the springs themselves are exposed to injury. It will. be seen that no difficulty of this kind can arise in my arrangement.

In addition to the above, it will be noticed that the shanks f of the hooks d have a free turning movement in the cases, so that if any of the slats chance to be a little too long they will adjust to place.

It will be seen that whenever the slats become bent or sagged from long use, they may be turned bottom upward by simply unhooking, and the ends may also be changed in the same way.

In addition to this, an important feature in my invention consists in the loose or free hanging of the slats, so that they may turn up at any angle to adapt themselves to the position and form of the occupant as he turns or rolls over in the bed. This is exhibited by the three middle slats in Fig. 1. Where the slats are rigid much of the effect of the elasticity is lost.

In my bed, Whichever way the occupant turns, the slats adapt themselves to t his body, and this without danger of becoming separated too far, as where they are suspended by elastic loops of considerable length.

I am aware that the slats in many instances have been connected with springs both above and below; but such, broadly, I do not claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The special arrangement of parts as herein set forth-viz., the cases C, screwing4 to the bedstead and inclosin g the springs g, the shanks frestin g therein upon the springs, and the hooks d and loops b connecting with the slats, the whole operating in the manner and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJ. F. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

J. FRASER, JAMES C. BROWN. 

